Do you think you’ve seen it all with the ball? Do many of your clients master stability ball exercises rapidly and want to move on to different challenges? Are you ready to discover a concept that will open up new exercise options equally well suited to a stability ball or a BOSU® Ballast® ball?

Your female clients don’t have to forgo their Pilates workouts if they become pregnant. With appropriate exercise adaptations, moms-to-be can benefit from traditional mat work variations to modifications on the reformer throughout pregnancy. Working on the reformer has three main benefits:

To keep pace with the dynamism in this robust and rapidly evolving sector, this year we revamped the annual IDEA Personal Training Programs & Equipment Survey. New questions were added to amass information about what goes on within training sessions, and old questions were revised to better understand individual trainers and trainer-entrepreneurs. The results allow us to delve deeper into the training and business practices of IDEA members and afford you the opportunity to compare notes with colleagues on how you excel at your profession.

Q. Why is it important to know your heart rate when exercising?
A. Monitoring heart rate during exercise provides an excellent measurement of intensity. Intensity, or how hard you are working, is an important factor in determining if you will improve your fitness level. Heart rate training takes the guesswork out of how hard you should be working to ach...

In a previous issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review,we asked: "What is your favorite and least favorite thing about working with the Pilates reformer? How would you describe your relationship with this piece of equipment?"

The good news is, today's home exercise equipment is better constructed and more effective—and offers you more options—than ever before. With choice, however, can come confusion . . . especially since equipment now comes in so many shapes, sizes and types, and is often marketed through glossy direct mail packages and sophisticated infomercials. Prices can range from $50 to $5,000 and up.
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According to industry definitions, “multipurpose” health clubs have fitness facilities and racquet courts. “Fitness-only” health clubs have fitness (group exercise and/or a fitness center with equipment), but no racquet courts. Either type of club may have a swimming pool or a gymnasium.
Respondents wer...

The fitness ball is a popular and widely available tool you can utilize to help clients get results. Try these suggestions to freshen up and make the most of their workouts on the ball.
Incorporating Pilates Principles
To enhance any exercise on the ball, use Pilates principles such as breathing, concentration, control, balanced muscular development, rhythm/flow, w...

Bacteria. Germs. Superbugs. These are some of the countless terms for the hazardous micro-organisms that can be found in your business at any time. The fact is, any crowded communal space is a breeding ground for microbes. The club environment is at increased risk owing to the unavoidable dynamics, from dripping sweat to locker room moisture to the normal hygiene challenges associated...